Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time

From the best-selling author of Islam: A Short History comes an important addition to the Eminent Lives book series. A former Roman Catholic nun and winner of a Muslim Public Affairs Council Media Award, Karen Armstrong shows how Muhammad's life can teach us a great deal about our world. More is known about Muhammad than any other major religion founder, yet he remains mysterious.

Islam: A Short History [Modern Library Chronicles]

Best-selling author and renowned religious scholar Karen Armstrong presents a concise and articulate history of Islam, the world's fastest-growing faith. Beginning with the Prophet Muhammad's flight from Medina and concluding with an examination of modern Islamic practices and concerns, Armstrong delivers an unbiased overview. She contends that no religion is more feared and misunderstood by the Western world as Islam, and firmly challenges the notion that these two civilizations are on a collision course.

In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad

Named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most important innovators of the century, Tariq Ramadan is a leading Muslim scholar, with a large following especially among young European and American Muslims. Now, in his first book written for a wide audience, he offers a marvelous biography of the Prophet Muhammad, one that highlights the spiritual and ethical teachings of one of the most influential figures in human history.

Buddha

This rich, timely, and highly original portrait of the Buddha explores both the archetypal religious icon and Buddha the man. In lucid and compelling prose, Armstrong brings to life the Buddha's quest, from his renunciation of his privileged life to the discovery of a truth that he believed would utterly transform human beings and enable them to live at peace in the midst of life's suffering.

The Case for God

Moving from the Paleolithic age to the present, Karen Armstrong details the great lengths to which humankind has gone in order to experience a sacred reality that it called by many names, such as God, Brahman, Nirvana, Allah, or Dao. Focusing especially on Christianity but including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Chinese spiritualities, Armstrong examines the diminished impulse toward religion in our own time.

Kindle Customer says:"Great recasting of how God should be interpreted"

The Bible: A Biography: Books That Changed the World

As the work at the heart of Christianity, the Bible is the spiritual guide for one out of every three people in the world. It is also the world's most widely distributed book, having been translated into over 2,000 languages, as well as the world's best-selling book, year after year. But the Bible is a complex work with a complicated and obscure history.

The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions

From one of the world's leading writers on religion and the highly acclaimed author of the best-selling A History of God, The Battle for God, and The Spiral Staircase, comes a major new work: a chronicle of one of the most important intellectual revolutions in world history and its relevance to our own time.

Memories of Muhammad: Why the Prophet Matters

Who was Muhammad? What do we know historically, and does that differ from how he is seen by his followers and venerated today? Memories of Muhammad presents Muhammad as a lens through which to view both the genesis of Islamic religion and the grand sweep of Islamic history - right up to the hot button issues of the day, such as the spread of Islam, holy wars, the status of women, the significance of Jerusalem, and current tensions with Jews, Hindus, and Christians.

Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence

For the first time, religious self-identification is on the decline in American. Some analysts have cited as cause a post-9/11 perception: that faith in general is a source of aggression, intolerance, and divisiveness - something bad for society. But how accurate is that view? With deep learning and sympathetic understanding, Karen Armstrong sets out to discover the truth about religion and violence in each of the world’s great traditions, taking us on an astonishing journey from prehistoric times to the present.

Western Muslims and the Future of Islam

Grounded in scholarship and bold in its aims, Western Muslims and the Future of Islam offers a striking vision of a new Muslim Identity, one which rejects once and for all the idea that Islam must be defined in opposition to the West.

No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam

Though it is the fastest growing religion in the world, Islam remains shrouded by ignorance and fear. What is the essence of this ancient faith? Is it a religion of peace or war? How does Allah differ from the God of Jews and Christians? Can an Islamic state be founded on democratic values such as pluralism and human rights? A writer and scholar of comparative religions, Reza Aslan has earned international acclaim for the passion and clarity he has brought to these questions.

The Holy Qur'an: A Modern English Reading, Volume II: Chapters 9-24

The Holy Qur'an was revealed in Arabic over 1400 years ago for the whole of humanity to the last prophet in Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him). Written down and recorded as it was revealed, The Holy Qur'an remains unchanged, even to this day. The Holy Qur'an is considered the greatest miracle given to the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The Holy Qur'an: A Modern English Reading, Volume III: Chapters 25-114

The Holy Qur'an was revealed in Arabic over 1400 years ago for the whole of humanity to the last prophet in Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him). Written down and recorded as it was revealed, The Holy Qur'an remains unchanged, even to this day. The Holy Qur'an is considered the greatest miracle given to the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life

Karen Armstrong believes that while compassion is intrinsic in all human beings, each of us needs to work diligently to cultivate and expand our capacity for compassion. Here, in this straightforward, thoughtful, and thought-provoking book, she sets out a program that can lead us toward a more compassionate life.

Muhammad: A Story of the Last Prophet

Born into the factious world of war-torn Arabia, Muhammad's life is a gripping and inspiring story of one man's tireless fight for unity and peace. In a world where greed and injustice ruled, Muhammad created change by affecting hearts and minds. Just as the story of Jesus embodies the message of Christianity, Muhammad's life reveals the core of Islam. Deepak Chopra shares the life of Muhammad as never before, putting his teachings in a new light.

The Holy Qur'an: A Modern English Reading, Volume I: Chapters 1-8

The Holy Qur'an was revealed in Arabic over 1400 years ago for the whole of humanity to the last prophet in Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him). Written down and recorded as it was revealed, The Holy Qur'an remains unchanged, even to this day. The Holy Qur'an is considered the greatest miracle given to the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

This is a Modern English reading of the interpretations and meanings of the Holy Qur'an, based on interpretations of the meaning by Dr Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali and Dr Muhammad Muhsin Khan.

This production in the English language is only an interpretation of the Arabic.

Islamic Philosophy: Bolinda Beginner Guides

A comprehensive examination of the struggle to reconcile philosophy and Islam. From the introduction of Greek Philosophy into the Muslim world in the eighth century, right through to modern times, Majid Fakhry charts the evolution and interaction of philosophy, theology, and mysticism in the Islamic context. Highlighting key individuals, movements, concepts, and writings, Fakhry also explores the conflicts and controversies between anti- and pro-philosophical parties.

The Future of Islam

John L. Esposito is one of America's leading authorities on Islam. Now, in this brilliant portrait of Islam today - and tomorrow - he draws on a lifetime of thought and research to sweep away the negative stereotypes and provide an accurate, richly nuanced, and revelatory account of the fastest-growing religion in the world. Here Esposito explores the major questions and issues that face Islam in the 21st century and how that will deeply affect global politics.

Publisher's Summary

From the best-selling author of Islam: A Short History comes an important addition to the Eminent Lives book series. A former Roman Catholic nun and winner of a Muslim Public Affairs Council Media Award, Karen Armstrong shows how Muhammad's life can teach us a great deal about our world. More is known about Muhammad than any other major religion founder, yet he remains mysterious.

Born in 570 CE, he spent six decades spreading his message of peace and compassion. Yet for many people today, their knowledge of Muhammad is rife with misconceptions and misinformation, often fueled by bigotry. Armstrong sets the record straight, shattering the myth that Islam is a religion of cruelty and violence. One of the world's leading religious experts, Armstrong is a deeply respected voice in the continuous struggle for interfaith understanding. Her cogent assessment of Muhammad's genius and insightful summary of his authentic beliefs are priceless in this modern world troubled by religious extremism and intolerance.

If you'd like to get to the root of Muhammad, then Karen's book is the perfect introduction. She smoothly separates the religious from the secular as well as his economic from political strife in Mecca and Medina. She deftly brings in the Quran where the Surahs intersect with his life transitions. It was eye opening to see how inclusive and revolutionary Islam was when Muhammad was alive. He would be labeled today a radical feminist. It is also saddening how after the leader dies the spiritual movement assumes the role of religious power and control limiting the blessedness of what could be so much more.

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Full of lessons how to live life, how to become a good human being, presents true shape of Islam. Telling right meaning of words like Jihad and other many things which even today's many Muslims don't know. When Prophet P.B.U.H conquered Mecca he forgives all who hurt Him, who force Him to migrate Medina from Mecca . He didn't force anyone to convert to Islam as some of scholars of today misguiding there disciples that converting other to Islam forcefully is good thing. Worth to listen by both Non-Muslims who want to know about Islam and for Muslims who are misguided my illiterate, greedy scholars. Congratulations to Karen Armstrong for this great work. God bless her.

"If we are to avoid catastrophe, the Muslim and Western worlds must learn not merely to tolerate but to appreciate one another. A good place to start is with the figure of Muhammad: a complex man, who resists facile, ideologically driven categorization, who sometimes did things that were difficult or impossible for us to accept, but who had profound genius and founded a religion and cultural tradition that was not based on the sword but whose name--"Islam"--signified peace and reconciliation" --Karen Armstrong.

There is more historical data on Muhammad's life than on that of the founder of any other major faith and yet his story is little known. Karen Armstrong's work provides a realistic and healthy rebuttal to the many detractions against Islam's Prophet. Even the most stubborn skeptic of the supernatural would find it hard to disagree that Muhammad was a much better man than the times he lived in. He was, as the author demonstrates, a benevolent social reformer who tried to provide a better path forward than the eclectic paganism of his time and the lawless, dog eat dog system of tribal honor. For example, Muhammad made several social reforms that gave women many rights (rights that women in the west did not receive until the late eighteenth century).

Although Armstrong's study does not concern itself greatly with miracles or the supernatural aspects of the Prophet's life, revelations are mentioned but only in passing. The main bulk of the text concerns the intentions and deeds of the Prophet's life. Contrary to the claims of his detractors, Muhammad was a man who abhorred violence, taking to it only as a last resort and even then he did so under a system of rules, which were far more noble and lenient than the other tribes of his time.

Excellent inside. I sometimes believe that the West knows more about our prophet and religion that we do. Karen Armstrong book is very humane. Although a ''reasonable'' muslim I learned a lot about my religion from her book. I hope that God accepts her in his Paradise.

This account sticks to its knitting in the sense that it does not go far and wide into other contexts, such as vast historical panoramas, and it takes Muhammad as it finds him within his own times, place and cultural context. Of course his influence and impact on those things were vast, but we go into the narrative step by step, from the relative smallness of his beginnings through the daunting challenges at each turn, each level oif personal maturity and achievement, and the devising of solutions (or to take him on his own terms, the imparting of revelations) that worked, such as they did, within that time and place. The author has an even-handed, reasonably sympathetic stance in this work; it is not a polemic trying to aggressively adversely confront all of this. For example, the reality of the polygamy (and the respective characters and behaviors of his wives) is merely explained calmly as a part of the sequence of events, in its local context of the customs of the time and place. Those customs in the area of Mecca are explained well, helping to give meaning and context to Muhammad's actions and character.

I knew nothing about Islam before I started this book. It was a great intro into the subject. The author does a very good job giving a prespective on some of the subjects the modern West finds very foreign. Highly recommended.

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